Your CV matters, How to put your best foot forward...

No, I’m not talking about the foot that has the nicely painted toe nail, I’m talking about your metaphorical foot, the foot that is hopefully going to get you your next job.

As your recruiters it is always our aim to work in your best interest to find and place you in your dream role. However, following these simple guidelines to writing an excellent CV can help you show yourself in the best light possible, and it is a lot more simple than you may think.

1. Correct Grammar You are probably sitting there thinking, well that is obvious, but you would be surprised how many CV’s we receive that not only fail to impress, but actually give a bad first impression. Remember your CV is often the first thing a prospective employer may see, it is the opportune time to sell yourself. Simple things, such as grammar, can be the difference between a placement and a rejection. Think how it looks from the employer’s perspective, grammar mistakes either show a flaw in your skill set or, perhaps worse of the two options, a lack of preparation and planning on your behalf. Either way it doesn’t help your cause. Always check your grammar before your submit your CV, a couple of minutes could make all the difference.

2. Mis-truths Again, this sounds extremely obvious, and you may think twisting the truth to sound more experienced or suited to a certain job will help. The truth is it won’t. If a firm needs certain experience, it is for a reason, and what could be worse than starting a new role, and being completely out of your depth. Are the mis-truths you tell really worth it? In the majority of circumstances I would whole heartedly say no.

3. Format A well formatted CV can be your ticket to a new role. Don’t underestimate the power of a well formatted CV, if it is easy to read, clearly laid out and concise a prospective employer will be able to navigate themselves to the information relevant to their vacancy easily. Small writing and an artistic font may look appealing, but when an employer is trawling through CV’s, they are not going to take the time to decipher what you are trying to say. Always print off your CV before you send it, that way you can clearly check how legible your information is. As a recruiter we see hundreds of CV’s every day, so if your CV is well formatted it will help you stand out from the crowd.

These 3 easy steps can not only help to make a good CV, but can combine to make a great one! If you have any questions about how to make your CV stand out, or want to discuss how to improve a current CV, please feel free to get in touch.